Configuration Management (CM), as specified by the third generation partnership project (3GPP), in general, provides an operator of a 3G mobile communications network (hereafter 3G network) with the ability to ensure correct and effective operation of the network. CM actions, also referred to as controlling actions, either initiated by the operator or by functions in an operations system (OS), have the objective to control and monitor the actual configuration on network elements (NEs) and network resources (NRs). Herein the NR denotes a component of a NE which can be identified as a discrete separate entity in an object oriented environment. The NR itself and, consequently, the NE is represented by an abstract entity, the so-called managed object (MO). CM actions may be requested as part of an implementation programme (e.g. additions and deletions on a 3G network), as a part of an optimisation programme (e.g. modifications), and to maintain the overall quality of service (QOS). The CM actions are initiated either as single actions on single NEs of the 3G network, or as part of a complex procedure involving actions on many resources/objects in one or several NEs. They are executed by a set of controls defined in the 3GPP technical specification (TS) 32.600. According to this specification the management of a network is accomplished by a package of end-user functions, provided by the so-called network manager (NM). The NM is supported by an element manager (EM) in turn providing a package of end-user functions for management of a set of closely related types of NEs.
According to another 3GPP-technical specification, TS 32.102, the communication between the NM and the NE via the EM or via direct access is based on an open standardized interface (Itf-N). The Itf-N is an object oriented interface, i.e. all resources of the 3G network whose management is standardized are represented as managed object instances (MOI) of a network resource model (NRM).
However, the CM is addressed to the management of 3G networks on a regional level only, i.e. it defines the specifications for internally controlling a radio network supported by a single provider. Whereas, in future, operators should be able to control radio networks on a higher level, that is to say initiating controlling actions on the part of the superior radio network OS affecting one or a plurality of radio networks on the regional level, e.g. GSM networks or/and 3G networks. Therefore, data necessary for controlling the regional radio networks, e.g. managed objects, managed objects parameters and their values, have to be synchronized between the radio network OSs on the regional level and the radio network OS on the superior level. Whereas, according to the above specifications, the regional radio network OS has an accurate and up to date picture of how the actual radio network is set up there is presently no such specification facilitating a configuration management on a superior level, e.g. provisioning and changing radio network parameters of neighbouring radio network cells supported by different manufacturer's equipment and supported by different providers at the same time.
Recently, a configuration management project, so-called mobile common configuration management (MCCM), was developed showing how mobile network operators can provision and change radio parameters for all affected GSM and UMTS cells supported by different providers using a flow-through process controlled by a single tool. The proposed MCCM solution is based on a regular upload, e.g. of radio network parameter data from radio network OSs on a regional level to a radio network OS on a superior level. The upload operation thereby comprises the steps of regularly fetching radio network data from all regional radio network OSs stored in their regional data bases (DB), exporting these data by the regional radio network OS, importing the data by the superior radio network OS and storing these data in a data base on the superior level. For the exporting and importing action a Bulk CM interface is used which is a part of the standardized Itf-N interface mentioned above. For further details see 3GPP TS 32.600.
However, the regular upload solution proposed by the 3GPP MCCM architecture implicates that the superior radio network OS has to handle a huge amount of data within a short period of time. Thus, it requires an equipment with large memory and computing power. Since the loading time is a non-operative time the regional radio network OSs and the superior radio network OS, as well, are out of normal order for too long. Therefore, the loading operation reasonably can only be scheduled during night, i.e. once a day. Accordingly, the data is in average 12 hours old which may restrict the usability of the data for some applications or controlling actions. A further drawback of the 3GPP MCCM solution is that due to the huge amount of data, actually, not all data available in the radio network OS on regional level can be uploaded, so that a filtering process appears to be essential to reduce the amount of data to a reasonable volume. Consequently, only a subset of managed object parameters and their values are available for controlling or managing the radio networks restraining the controlling actions and controlling functions available for the superior radio network OS. Therefore, management tools available for radio network OSs on the regional level provided by respective vendors suffer losses in functionality or can not at all be used on the superior level.